What's That On My Sleeve? Oh, Right, It's My Heart.

"When I wake up you look so pretty sleeping next to me.
But there is not enough time. And there is no song I could sing.
And there is no combination of words I could say,
but I will still tell you one thing. We're better together."
- Jack Johnson, "Better Together"

Today, I will be writing about the most important part of my life. Her. If you easily give in to the weepies upon seeing overly sentimental schmaltz, grab a box of tissues. If you’re easily disgusted by seeing the words “love” and “heart” written repeatedly and without irony, click on another blog.

First: who is “her?” Well, “she” would be the apple of my eye--that is if I liked apples more than the normal amount. She’s more like the caramel apple of my eye when I stop to consider it. Or perhaps the peach ice cream of my eye? She’s the Chicken Parmesan of my being...

The truth is, without her, I wouldn’t be the same person that’s writing this journal entry. And I suspect that would be for the worse. I’m sure I would be the same hopeless romantic and soul bleeder that I am today, but I doubt that anyone else would know that. Without her, I would still be hiding entirely behind a shield of jokes and jocularities–instead of doing it only some of the time. She opened up a more sincere part of me. She’s the reason I wrote my first love song. I even sang it...out loud. (Only to her, but a big step for me nonetheless.)

She is the barricade that all of my tears must first pass through, only after determining whether or not they’re the good or bad kind. She takes care of me in a way that isn’t motherly; nor is it the way that a good friend would. It’s something beyond that. She is the bubble wrap that lets my heart keep bouncing back and landing softly.

My days with her will always be better than my days without. My chin will never feel as good as it does than when her head is resting right beneath it. After almost three years with her, it feels strange to be in a room where she isn’t. I find myself missing her after being at work for only a few hours. I know that this most likely makes me the world’s most pathetic boyfriend. And I think I’m okay with that.

She is Emily Leibold. She is the biggest reason I can think of to roll out of bed in the morning. She is the very reason I smile so wide, so frequently. She’s my girlfriend, my best friend, my valentine.

She’s perfect and I hope she knows it.


This Love in Song:
Ben Folds - "The Luckiest"

Happy Valentine’s Day,
Shaky Jake